Centipede Infestation: An Atari Classic Reimagined

I’m old enough now that I remember when the original Centipede game was a huge hit at the local video arcade, so I jumped when Atari offered GeekDad a chance to review Centipede Infestation. The 2011 sequel to the original 1980 game is available for the Nintendo Wii and 3Ds, and is actually the second sequel to the game (a previous sequel was released in 1998).

Atari provides a good description of the game in its press release:

Centipede Infestation features run-n-gun shooting style gameplay with tower defense-style objects, paying homage to the original Centipede while bringing the brand into the 21st century. Players assume the role of an orphaned teenager hero named Max as he trudges through the wasteland, fighting off giant bugs. Along Max’s travels, he encounters a young teen named Maisy who possesses a collection of seeds that hold the secret to bringing plant life back to the wasteland. Max and Maisy join forces to grow these gardens and protect the last natural resources on earth.

The press release description is spot-on, since the game is an isometric shooter with some defensive strategy elements. And yes, your nemeses in the game are 3D variants of the spider, scorpion, and centipede that devoured so many quarters in arcades back in the ’80s.

To get a feel for the actual gameplay, take a look at the trailer video:

We gave Centipede Infestation a try on the Wii and were particularly impressed with how well the controls work. The nunchuk controls motion of the player, and the wiimote takes care of aiming, firing, weapons selection, etc. The result was intuitive even for an old-timer like myself, which was greatly appreciated.

The video above makes it pretty clear that the game involves a lot of running and blasting of bugs; however, there are also some defensive elements, such as the gun turrets that deploy when you zap a spider:

Gun Turrets in action (screenshot from Atari)

The game is easy end enjoyable to pick up and play on your own, but the most fun (and insectoid mayhem) came when we started up multiplayer mode:

Multiplayer Mode (screenshot by Atari)

As mentioned above, there are plenty of levels, plenty of weapons, and plenty of different bugs to blast. Overall, Centipede Infestation was loud, fast, and fun for GeekDad and Geekling alike.